Fence-making machine



3 sheetssneet 1.

W. H. VAUGHN.

FENCE MAKING. MACHINE.

(Modem c; Patented 121114231883.

N PETERS. PIwXo-Lithographlr. Wnhingmn. c.

(ModeL) W. H. VAUGHN.

I'ENUE MAKING MACHINE. Pate "m 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

U ITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. VAUGHN, OF QUINCY, ILLINOIS.

FENCE-MAKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 271,165, dated January 23, 1883.

Application filed November 9, 1882. (Model) To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1,. WILLIAM H. VAUGHN, of Quincy, in the county of Adams and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fence-Making Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in machines for making compound fencethat is, fence composed of wooden pickets connected together by runners of wire, the said runners consisting of two strands of wire twisted at regular intervals around such pickets, forming a continuous length of fencing; and the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of devices for twisting the wire around the pickets; and, further, in mechanism for feeding the pickets one by one into proper position with relation to the wire in the twisting mechanism.

- It further consists in details of construction, all of which will be more particularly described and separately claimed.

a In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of the entire apparatus. Fig. 2 is a front view of the same. Fig. 3 is a side ele vation in section. Fig. at is a similar elevation of the mechanism for operating the reeling device. Fig. 5 represents a modified form of twisting apparatus. Figs. 6 and 7 represent modifications; Figs. 8, 9, and 10, separate views of auxiliary feeding device, and Fig. 11 a detail of journal-box for the reel-shaft.

My machine comprehends essentially the followingelements: aseriesoftwisting-pinions, through which the wire passes from coils placed at some convenient point; a reciprocating rack for giving to such pinions motion in opposite directions at each revolution of the driving-wheel; a device for feeding the slats to a position in front of the twisting-pinions; a series of fingers acting, in combination with such pinions, to form the twist; and a device for reeling the completed fence upon the reel as it leaves the machinery.

In the drawings, A represents any suitable frame-work, composed ofcorner-posts and cross-braces, of sufficient firmness to hold the operative mechanism.

B represents a cross-beam connected by upright posts, in which beam are journaled the twisting-pinions 1 1, any number of which may posite each other and equidistantfrom the center, and in these perforations are set tubes 2 2, which communicate with the interior of the hollow sleeve, as shown in Fig. 3. The pinions are operated by a rack, D, which reciprooates horizontally, and is connected by a pitman, 3, to the wheel E on the driving-shaft F. The pitman 3 is made in two parts adjustable on each other by means of slots 4 4 and screws 5 5, and a wrist-pin, 6, is also adjustable in the radial slot 7 of the driving-wheel. By means of these adjustments the stroke of the rack can beincreased or shortened, as desired, and the number of turns of the twistingpinions regulated. The driving-shaft F is connected by beveled gearing 7 and 8 to a coon ter-sh aft. Gr, journaled in bearin gs in the framework. On this counter-shaft is an eccentric, H, connected by means of a strap, 9, to pushers K L M. These pushers slide horizontally in slots formed in the beam B at a point slightly below the level of the wire as it passes through the twisting-pinions, and motion of the counter-shaft communicated through the eccentric will move the said pushers backward and forward. ()n the counter-shaft G, and in close proximity to the eccentric H, is a similar eccentric, I, connected in like manner by a strap to pitman, 10, which in turn is pivoted to an arm, 1.1, mounted on a rock-shaft, 12, journaled in the main frame. To this rock shaft are secured arms 13 13, which are in turn joined to a shaft, 14, connected by a link, 15, to a frame, 16, which is journaled by means of pins 17 in a slotted standard, 18. The frame 16 thereby has a pivotal movement in the said slot, while at the same time its journals slide vertically in such slot when impelled by the movement of the rockshaft. The pivotal movement of the said frame forward is against the tension of a coiled spring, 21, secured at some convenient point on the main frame, which retracts the said device after each operation. Secured to this frame are fingers 23 24, which project up in line with and. nearly opposite to the twisting-pinions, so that when Too such pinions are horizontal the wire passes through between the said fingers, which thus act as guides. It should be added that the wire, after leaving the coils, passes between adjustable spring-plates 25 25, which act as a tension device to prevent the wire from becoming entangled.

I have devised means for automatically feeding the slats forward to a point opposite the twistingpinions, and such device is representedin Fig.2. Mis agni-deway havinglongitudinal groove running its entire length. This groove is slotted, as shown at 27, and in such slot works a small pin or projection, 28, secured to a slide, 29, working in guides 30 below the guide-frame. To aprojectin g pin at the bottom of this slide is secured one end of a strong spring, the other end being attached to some point on the frame. a pin, 31, which is struck by a. projection, 32, on the end of the shaft N, which receives motion from the counter-shaft Gr through ordinary beveled gearing. As the projection 32 has a rotary motion with the shaft, it follows that after forcing the slide back to its farthest limit it will release the same, when. the spring will retract the slide, with its projection, and will forcibly expel the slat placed in the groove to a position in front of the twisting-pinions. O is a buffer composed of two spring-jaws, 33 33, secured to the main frame at the opposite side of the feeding device, between which jaws the slat strikes, and is held and prevented from rebounding.

The operation of my fence-making apparatus is as follows: The wire coils are placed in position and the wire led through the tension device to the twisting-pulleys,theendsof each pair being given a single twist preparatory to the insertion of the lath. A slat is placed in position in the guideway, it being supposed that the pushers have assumed their'rcarward position while the fingers are depressed, so that the wire passes above them. The driving-shaft is set in motion, and as the projection 32 releases the pin 31 on the slideway the picket is forcibly pushed into position, where itrests between the twisting-tubes, and is held there. As the driving-shaft continues to rotate, the pushers advance against the picket and impel it forward, there being just snfficient room for it to clear the fingers. At this point the frame 16, carrying the fingers, is raised in the slotted standard 18 by the mechanism before described, and thereby the fingers are elevated, so that the wire passes between them, the strands being held thereby at a proper distance apart and prevented from spreading. At the same time the wrist-pin on the main driving-wheel, having reached a point near the top of such wheel, begins to move the rack-bar in one direction and to turn the pinions. The pinions make an entire revolution. The wires being held between the fingers are then twisted around the picket. In the meantime another picket has been placed in the feeding-groove, and the continued revolution of the shaft withdraws The slide is operated by the fingers, the rack remaining nearly stat-ionary until the wrist-pin reaches the lower part of the driving-wheel, when the pushers again advance and the rack makes a return-stroke, thus forming the next twist in a reverse direction. The operation proceeds in this manner indefinitely, according to the length of fence to be made, and, as before explained, the extent of twistgiven to the strands can be easily regulated by changing the throw of the rack by means of the adjustable pitman and wristpin.

I have devised an improved winding-reel on which the completed fence is coiled as fast as it leaves the machine, and this is illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings. A shaft, P, isjournaled in the main frame of the machine ata point opposite the twisting devices, on which shaft, outside of the frame, is keyed a ratchetwheel, 40. Upon the for-ward end of the said beam is a block, 41, pivoted to the said beam .by a hinge-joint, or by two staples, as shown. A half-bearing is formed in this block 41, while the shaft rests in a depression in the beam beneath it. The block is locked in place .by a pin, 43, which fits within a groove, 44, and has a hook upon its lower end adapted to be turned out of line with the slot or groove, and thus lock the block to the shaft. Any other removable or adj nstable box might be employed, though I have found this device simple in construction and convenient in use. Journaled also in the frame, below the winding-reel, is a rock-shaft, R, and on this shaft is a spring-arm, S, which projects up and is impelled by such spring against the lower surface of the winding-reel. The shaft It extends through the frame, and onits end is rigidly keyed an arm, 44, which, when the shaft is rocked, has a movement in a direction opposite to that of the arm S. On the arm 44 is a connecting-rod, 45, which is joined to a pitman, 46, connected by a strap to a cam, T, on the counter-shaft G. Mounted on a pin, 50, secured in the upright standard 51 of the main frame, is a peculiar slotted arm, 52. The slot 53 in such arm is connected by means of a block, 54, having serrated sides engaging with corresponding serrations on the inside of the slot, with the pitman 46, which, as before stated, is secured to a cam, T, on the counter-shaft, the pitman being slotted, and having a pin 'orbolt, 55, passing through the block 54 and the sides of its own slot. The connecting-rod 45, whichis secured to the arm 44 of the rock-shaft, is also connected to the outer end of this pin. Joined and at the lower end, are pawls 56 57, which engage with the ratchet-wheel on the end of the winding-reel, and the parts being so constructed the operation is as follows: Motion being communicated to the pitman 46 by means of the cam on the counter-shaft, the windingreel is revolved through the ratchet and the pawl 56. The effect of this movement is 'to throw the upper end of the slotted arm 52 forward and to retract the lower end, to which to the arm 52, respectively, near the middle is attached the pawl 57. When the upper end of the arm has reached the limit of its movement the pawl 57 has dropped several teeth below the pawl 56, and as the pitman commences its return-stroke the pawl 56 begins to drop back, while the pawl 57 operates to give a continuous movement to-the winding-reel. As the size of the fence coiled upon the reel increases, the arm S, connected to the rock-shaft, is depressed, and the arm 45, which, as before stated. is connected to the pitman, is elevated. The eifect of this is to raise the serrated block and the end of the pitman in the slot, so that it constantly shortens the stroke of the pushpawls, and thereby as the coil upon the reel grows larger therevolut-ion of such reel is continually being retarded. The effect of this is to insure the correct spacing of the pickets, since the feed of the wire and that of the pickets-are automatically maintained at the proper relative speed. that if the reel were run at a uniform rate of speed a constantly-increasing amount of wire would be fed, while therapidity with which the pickets are presented would not be increased,the result being that the spaces between thepickets would constantlygrow wider as the fence was finished.

I have shown in Figs. 5 and 6 a modified form of mechanism for rotating the twisting apparatus. In this apparatus a gear-wheel, a, is mounted upon the outer end of a shaft, 1), journaled in the frame-work. This gear-wheel meshes with a pinion, 0, upon a shaft, d, upon the outer end of which is a twisting-pinion, c, which in this case is a sprocket-wheelconnected by a chain, f, to a similar wheel, g, mounted upon a shaft, h. The wire coils are mounted upon the shafts d and revolve therewith, and the wires are fed from such coils through the hollow shafts of the sprocketwheels. On the main gear-wheel a is a ratchetwheel, j, and on the shaft of this gear wheel are slotted arms 7070, connected by pitmen lm to awrist-pim-n, on the driving-wheel. ltevolu tion of the driving-wheel will give continuous rotation to the gear-wheel a, the pawls alternately acting as pushers to move such gearwheel, and sliding back over 'the teeth to a position to give the gear-wheel a further impulse. A continuous revolution in the same direction is in this manner imparted to the sprocketwheels, and, unlike the apparatus before described, the successive twists are formed in the same direction. Of course a feeding mechanism for the laths like that formerly described, or of any other form, may be used in connection with this modification, and it should be also noted that the number of turns given to the wire may be changed and regulated by adjusting the position of the pitman in the slots of the pawls in an obvious manner.

In Fig. 7 is shown a non-automatic reel on which the fence is wound, which consists of a tube, 100, having a screw-shaft,101, passing nearly through it. The tube is slotted, as

It will readily be understood shown at 102, and through these slots project arms 103, pivoted to collars 104 on the shaft. The projecting arms are connected by slats 105, forming a frame. A crank-handle, 106, is mounted on the end ofthe screw-shaft, by turn ing which the collars on the shaft will be simultaneously moved in same direction and the diameter of the frame expanded or contracted by changing the inclination of the projecting arms.

I have devised an improved arrangement for feeding the slats to a position on the guideslot ofthe main feeding device, which is illustrated in Figs. 8, 9, and 10. At right angles to such feeding device is a chain, 109, running upon sprocket-wheels 110 111, such chain being provided with projections 112, between which are placed the slats. On the end of the cessed disk, 113, with which engages a pro jection on an arm, 114., such arm being mounted on the shaft N, at right angles to the arm 32, which operates the slide 29. The movements of these parts are so timed that at each movement of the arm 32 the sprocket-wheels will be moved forward, by means of the arm 114, a sufficient distance to deposit a slat in position in the guiding-groove, as shown in Fig. 8, whence it is fed to the machine by the mechanism before described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a machine for forming combined wood and wire fence, the combination of wire-feeding coils, twistingpinions, .the spring slatfeeding device, the sliding pushers, and the winding-reel having retarded motion, and connected mechanism for relatively operating the said parts, substantially as described.

2. A machine for making wire fence, consisting of twisting-pinions, a rack operated in connection therewith, pushers for impelling the picket forward in position to receive the twist, movable fingers operating in connection with the twisting-pinions, and a spring-actuated device for forcing the slat forward to a po- 'sition to receive the wire, substantially as described.

3. In combination with the driving-shaft of the machine, and with mechanism, substantially as described, connected thereto, the frame 16, having the fingers 23 24 and journaled in the slotted standard 18, such frame being automatically operated substantially for the purpose set forth.

4. In combination with a machine for twisting wires for the purpose described, the guideway M, having the spring-ejector, and operated by the shaft N, substantially as described.

5. Combined with the spring-ejector, the buffer 0, composed of the spring-jaws, substantially as described.

fence, the combination of the winding-"reel P, the spring-arm S, the rock-shaft, the pivoted arm 52, the ratchet, the hinged pawls, and the pitman 46, connected to the cam T, all

6. In a machine for forming wood and wire shaft of the sprocket-wheel 110 is placed a re- To revolution of such shaft Nin the described re-v lation to the operation of the said spring-slide, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM H. VAUGHN.

Vitnesses:

J. Y. BALDWIN, HENRY '1. KEMP. 

